Ubuntu is a linux based Operating System that’s getting more attention than ever before. It’s very user friendly, and lots of people are downloading it because it comes with better hardware detection and works well out-of-the-box. If you haven’t got yourself a Live CD, get a copy for free from ShipIt

Some reasons why you should give Ubuntu a try:

* It is completely free. Order a CD via their ShipIt service, and you get the CD delivered at your doorstep, at ZERO cost!

* It doesn’t need expensive hardware to run, it can run perfectly on a machine with a normal configuration. Doesn’t crash often like Windows.

* Ubuntu updates every six months, and they’re free as well.

* Installing apps in Ubuntu is very easy. Just a single command and you’re done.

* Ubuntu Installer imports your Windows OS settings, so some things come configured when you install it – just like you had on Windows. For instance, your XP Firefox profile could be imported.

Although Ubuntu comes with excellent packages that help you alter the default settings and customize the distro for yourself, tweaking a few settings however requires you to go deeper into the system. Plus if you do something wrong, you’re probably going to end up making a mess of your Ubuntu installation. That’s where a program called Ubuntu Tweak comes in handy. Ubuntu Tweak is a little GUI based tool and it lets you edit some hidden settings on your Ubuntu installation very easily. It’s similar to Tweak UI for Windows XP.

Here’s how you can install it:

In the terminal, type:

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

In the file that opens, add the following lines to the end of the list:

Open the program, and you get access to instantly modify a lot of hidden settings. You can change the splash screen in one single click; remove items from Auto Start; hide Computer, Home, Network icons from the desktop; adjust active window opacity; and lots more.

Besides that, Ubuntu Tweak also lets you disable some services for a higher level of security. For instance – you could disable user switching, printing, run application dialog, etc. – in just a few clicks.

@Tim: I don't think telling the "virtues" of the newer versions will appease the fears of the non-Ubuntu users who are mostly people who never tried GNU/Linux or was discouraged to go back because of the how hard it is setup with the distro they tried before. (And they are not aware that there are many distros to begin with.)

@Verdican: If I remember correctly, Compiz and Beryl are actually two independent group. Compiz is still alive, but some of its supporters and Beryl joined together and created Compiz-Beryl. Which was later renamed to Compiz-Fusion their current name (dropping the Beryl project). So there is "Compiz" and there is "Compiz-Fusion". I use Compiz-Fusion because it is more featured and most updated than Compiz.

@Tim: Although Ubuntu has been out for a long time, it doesn't mean that everyone already know about it. Most of the non-geeky people I know believe that Ubuntu or any other Linux distribution for that matter is for nerds and geeks only. They think that playing around with Ubuntu involves messing with the command shell which is something they don't want to do because it might risk "damaging their computer". A tool like Ubuntu Tweak just makes things easier for those beginners who want to give Ubuntu a chance before giving up because things are 'too complicated'.

Ack. I don't agree when people say stuff like "Doesnâ€™t crash often like Windows." I suppose that might have some truth for the average user, but for technically knowledgeable people like ourselves, the idea of Windows crashing should be something left in the past. My Windows operating systems have almost never crashed in the past six years, and I'm including my two years with Windows ME. Oh well.

Ubuntu is pretty cool, although I've always had a sweet spot for Linspire/Freespire.

That's a nice Ubuntu post! I use Ubuntu full time, so it feels good that MakeUseOf is giving a bit of attention to Linux as well. However, I don't agree with you that installing apps requires any command (be that even one). It is completely GUI based using Add / Remove or Synaptic. Most software makers are also offering .deb packages which are automatically installed by GDebi.